Suspect in Redondo Beach home burglary shot to death by Long Beach police

By Kelly Puente, Staff Writer

Posted:
02/21/2013 06:31:45 AM PST

Updated:
02/21/2013 06:29:24 PM PST

2/21/13 - The driver of a reportedly stolen BMW lead CHP officers on a chase from Redondo Beach to Long Beach shortly before 1 a.m. Thursday, where he crashed into a garage where an officer involved shooting occurred and the suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. Photo by Brittany Murray / Staff Photographer

The suspect crashed into a garage in the 6400 block of Keynote Street near Hackett Avenue and was killed in an officer-involved shooting after he brandished a gun and fired on officers, according to police. (Google Maps (click to enlarge))

UPDATED: LONG BEACH - Police fatally shot a Redondo Beach burglary suspect early Thursday following a pursuit that ended in East Long Beach when the suspect fired at officers, authorities said.

The incident began shortly before 1 a.m. when California Highway Patrol officers chased a man suspected of burglarizing a home and stealing a white BMW in Redondo Beach, said Long Beach Police Sgt. Aaron Eaton.

Officers lost the suspect as he exited off the San Diego (405) Freeway at Studebaker Road in Long Beach. Long Beach police then located the suspect shortly after and chased him into a quiet neighborhood in the 6400 block of Keynote Street near Los Coyotes Diagonal.

There, the suspect lost control of his vehicle and crashed into the garage of a vacant home and hit an orange car parked in the driveway, Eaton said.

He said the suspect fired a handgun at officers and officers returned fire, hitting him. The suspect died at the scene, Eaton said, adding that a handgun was recovered.

No officers were injured, he said.

Police and the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office said the man's name wouldn't be released Thursday night.

Redondo Beach police Sgt. Shawn Freeman said the BMW was stolen sometime between 8:30 p.m. and midnight from outside of a house in the 1600 block of Morgan Lane in Redondo Beach.

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Its owners arrived home, saw that their car was missing from their driveway and discovered someone had broken into their house. The burglar had taken the car's keys, Freeman said.

Redondo Beach police put out a description of the car and its license plate, which led the California Highway Patrol officers to spot it on the 405 Freeway.

Staff Writer Larry Altman contributed to this report.

2/21/13 - The driver of a reportedly stolen BMW lead CHP officers on a chase from Redondo Beach to Long Beach shortly before 1 a.m. Thursday. Long Beach police became involved in the pursuit and the driver crashed into a garage of a vacant home in the 6400 block of Keynote Street where an officer involved shooting occurred and the suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. Photo by Brittany Murray / Staff Photographer